Jacques Villeneuve raises alarm over Charles Leclerc’s discontent as Ferrari’s technique falters once more in Canadian Grand Prix
Scuderia Ferrari endured yet one more irritating weekend within the 2025 Components 1 season, leaving the Montreal Grand Prix on the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve with a lacklustre fifth and sixth-place end. Regardless of arriving in Canada with hopes of combating on the entrance, the Scuderia’s newest efficiency solely deepened considerations over the workforce’s strategic path and inside cohesion.
The difficulty started early when Charles Leclerc crashed throughout observe, interrupting his rhythm regardless of exhibiting promising tempo. He in the end certified a disappointing eighth, whereas teammate Lewis Hamilton managed to safe P5 on the grid. Nevertheless, each drivers struggled with the SF-25’s stability all through the weekend, notably in race situations. Hamilton reported brake instability, claiming he had “no rear” grip throughout the Grand Prix.
Maybe most troubling for Ferrari was Lewis Hamilton’s lack of race tempo. The seven-time world champion was slower than each Williams vehicles and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine, ending behind Charles Leclerc in sixth. If not for Lando Norris’ dramatic crash following a collision with teammate Oscar Piastri late within the race, Lewis Hamilton would have crossed the road in seventh. As soon as once more, a scarcity of competitiveness and additional confusion on the pit wall prevented Ferrari from mounting any significant problem.
Jacques Villeneuve criticises Ferrari technique amid rising pressure with Charles Leclerc
Including gasoline to the hearth, 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve expressed critical concern over the seen disconnect between Charles Leclerc and Ferrari’s pit wall. The previous champion pointed to Canada as a troubling instance of how driver and workforce gave the impression to be working on completely different wavelengths—a disunity that would significantly hinder any hope of closing the hole to Purple Bull and McLaren.
Leclerc had began the race on the arduous compound tyre and communicated through workforce radio that he most popular to pursue a one-stop technique—internally known as “Plan C.” He appeared comfy with this strategy. However, Ferrari made the choice to divert to “Plan B,” pitting Leclerc for an additional set of hards earlier than finally switching to mediums on lap 53. The Monegasque was visibly pissed off after the race, questioning the logic behind a name that he had clearly disagreed with through the race.
Villeneuve, talking to Sky Sports activities F1, famous that the disjointed communication between the Monegasque and the Ferrari engineers mirrored a deeper structural challenge. He remarked that it was clear from the radio exchanges that the driving force and workforce lacked strategic alignment, and urged the Scuderia to “get their act collectively” in the event that they had been critical about rejoining the title battle.
Leclerc’s frustration grows as scrutiny intensifies on Fred Vasseur’s management
Ferrari’s ongoing points with radio communication and inconsistent race methods have grow to be a recurring theme all through the 2025 season. In Canada, even Hamilton appeared puzzled by the workforce’s tyre selections throughout qualifying, leaving observers questioning Ferrari’s decision-making processes.
Following the Montreal spherical, Ferrari ceded second place within the constructors’ standings to Mercedes, who secured a commanding win via George Russell and a robust podium from rookie Kimi Antonelli. The strain has since intensified on workforce principal Fred Vasseur, with experiences suggesting that Ferrari chairman John Elkann has grown impatient with the workforce’s stagnation.
Fred Vasseur is reportedly going through a three-race window to display tangible enchancment. Failure to ship might set off management modifications at Maranello. In the meantime, hypothesis about Leclerc’s long-term dedication to Ferrari has begun to floor. Though the Monegasque not too long ago instructed Nico Rosberg that the Ferrari workforce boss was doing a “implausible job,” the tone throughout the workforce suggests in any other case. Charles Leclerc’s physique language and race-day frustrations point out that Ferrari should act swiftly in the event that they want to keep away from a deeper disaster and salvage what stays of their 2025 Components 1 marketing campaign.
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